File photo of MS Dhoni from the days when he still kept his hair flowing long and free.
© AFP
After guiding India to a well-earned draw against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave up a format that he least managed to get his grips on. It brought to an end a nine-year-long roller coaster ride. Dhoni finished with 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 in 90 Tests. (Dhoni Retires From Test Cricket )
With eyes full of big dreams, the Ranchi boy played his first Test against Sri Lanka in 2005. In less than a year later in 2006, Dhoni made the world sit up and take notice when he smashed a counter-attacking 148 off just 153 balls against arch-nemesis Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2006, displaying glimpses of bigger things to come. (Sachin Tendulkar Leads Tributes )
Dhoni brought a new dimension of batting to Indian cricket. He covered his technical limitations with swagger and nonchalance. He was not the polished batsman from the academies of a bustling city, he was a small-town boy bred on natural instinct and immense power. (Dhoni Knew Kohli Was Ready: Gavaskar )
Dhoni also proved to be a force behind the stumps, solving the team's perrenial problem of finding a long-term and specialist wicketkeeper. On Tuesday, when he brought an end to his Test career, Dhoni had 256 catches and 38 stumpings to his name in Tests.
With 4,876 runs in 90 Tests at an average of just under 40, Dhoni quit Tests with contrasting records to his name. Dhoni has most number of wins as India skipper in the longest format of the game (27) but is also the owner of the dubious record of leading the side to most number of Test defeats abroad (18).
Dhoni took giant leaps in coloured clothing, leading the team to the World T20 title in 2007 and taking over as ODI captain from Rahul Dravid in the same year while simultaneously making small but effective strides in Tests.
Prompted by batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian management passed on the baton of Test captaincy to Dhoni in 2008 after Anil Kumble retired in 2008. He began his captaincy stint in trademark flamboyant style, scoring twin fifties in the match against Australia in Nagpur. A second-innings rearguard with Harbhajan Singh helped the team begin life under Dhoni with a win.
If Tendulkar was a name that was synonymous with Indian cricket for over two decades, Dhoni proved to be a poignant rags-to-riches story, one filled with numerous highs and lows.
The Memorable Highs
- Received Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sports honour, in 2007.
- On the advice of Sachin Tendulkar, Dhoni was handed Test captaincy in 2008 after Anil Kumble's retirement.
- Led India to No. 1 Test ranking in 2009.
- Beat Sunil Gavaskar (3449), Mohammad Azharuddin (2856) and Sourav Ganguly (2561) to become Indian captain with most runs in� Tests (3454).
- Became first India skipper to score 10,000 runs as Test captain and fifth overall after Allan Border, Ricky Ponting, Stephen Fleming and Graeme Smith.
- Led India to a Test win at Lord's for the first time in 28 years in 2014.
- Led India to 21 out of 30 Test wins at home.
The Unfortunate Lows
- Back-to-back whitewash 4-0 defeats against England (2011) and Australia (2011-12).
- Test series loss to England (2-1) at home in 2013.
- Test series loss (3-1) in England.
- Test series loss in ongoing Australia series.
- Led India to 15 losses in 30 Tests away from home and often accused of employing defensive tactics.
Dhoni's Test exit brings down the curtains on a rich era of Indian cricket that saw the team reach the pinnacle of rankings for the first time ever. Dhoni leaves the team in the able hands of Virat Kohli, one who has been an integral part of Dhoni's roller coaster-like journey.
Tributes will continue to flow in and debates on his ability as a Test cricketer will continue, but Dhoni, like the carefree youngster who broke into the international scene in 2005, will walk away unperturbed.
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